Tour of Duty ....

26 INSTALLING HEROES OF THE 357TH

Choose an active pilot 27 To play Heroes of the 357th, you need 640K of memory and an EGA, MCGA, or
Choose another Pilot 27 VGA compatible video adapter.
Enlist a new Pilot 27 Before playing, you must install the program onto a hard drive. The easiest way
to do this is to use the install utility that comes with the game. The install utility
Restore a Pilot KIA or POW 27 creates a directory named P51 on the disk and then copies the contents of all
Discharge a Pilot 28 disks into that directory. You need 1.5 megabytes of free space on your hard
drive. If you have a problem installing the program, you might not have enough
Clear Roster 28 memory available.
Review A Pilot's Stats 28 1. Boot your computer with DOS (any version 3.0 or greater).
Show Top Aces 29 2. Insert Disk No. 1 into drive A (or any appropriate floppy drive). Note: If
Congratulations 29 you're using the 5.25 inch high density version, there is only the one disk
to insert.
Mission Types 29
3. Type A: and press Enter. (Type the appropriate drive letter if you have
Ground School 30 inserted Disk No. 1 into a drive other than drive A.)
Enemy Fighters 31 4. To install the disk, type Install followed by the drive letter you are
Bfl09 31 installing from and the drive letter you are installing to. For example, to
install from drive A: to drive C: you would type INSTALL A: C:. Press
Me-110 31 Enter.
Fw-190 31 5. Follow the on-screen directions and swap disks when prompted.
Me-262 31 6. Once the game is copied onto your hard drive, put your original disks in
Battle Damage 32 a safe place.
Flak 32 Installing Manually
Fighter Tactics 32 If you're having trouble installing the game using the above install procedure,
here's how to do it manually. Below is a step by step procedure for making the
Fighter Sweep 32 P51 directory, copying the files into that directory, and uncompressing them.
Pull out keyboard map 33
5.25" Floppy Disk Users
Bomber Escort 37 In the following step-by-step procedure, we're assuming that you want to
Strafing Run 37 install the game on C: drive from floppy drive A:. If your configuration is
different, use the appropriate hard drive and floppy drive letters.
Special Weapons 37
1. At the C: \ prompt, type MD P51 and press Enter.
V1 Intercept 38
2. Type CD\P51 and press Enter.
The Yoxford Boys 39
3. Insert the Heroes of the 357th floppy disk into drive A:.
Appendix of Airplanes: 51
4. Type COPY A:HEROES.EXE and press Enter.
PROBLEMS WITH THE GAME? 64 5. Type HEROES and press Enter to run the uncompress program and
About the Artists 65 install the complete game into the P51 subdirectory.
Brian Hilchie 65 6. Once the program has been uncompressed, you can delete the
Dan Hoecke 65 extraneous file from your hard drive. Type DEL HEROES.EXE and press
Enter.

Scanned and compiled by Underdogs, Home of the Underdogs - http://www.the-underdogs.org/

6 7
7. Type CD\ and press Enter to return to your root directory. Starting From a Hard Drive
8. To finish installing the game in your P51 subdirectory, type COPY If you installed the game using the Install utility that came with Heroes of the
A:P51.BAT and press Enter. 357th, use the following procedure to start the game.
3.5" Floppy Disk Users 1. Type C: and press Enter. (If your hard drive isn't C:, enter the correct
letter.)
In the following step-by-step procedure, we're assuming that you want to
install the game on C: drive from floppy drive A:. If your configuration is 2. Type CD\P51 and press Enter.
different, use the appropriate hard drive and floppy drive letters. 3. Type P51 and press Enter.
1. At the C:\ prompt, type MD P51 and press Enter. 4. The game will load the logo screen. Press any key to continue.
2. Type CD\P51 and press Enter.
STARTUP PARAMETERS
3. Insert the Disk No.l into drive A:.(Note: Type the appropriate drive
letter if you inserted Disk No.l into a drive other than A.) When you start Heroes of the 357th, the program automatically detects the best
graphics mode for your computer and starts the game in that mode. However, if
4. Type COPY A:HEROES1.EXE and press Enter.
you want to start the game in a different graphics mode, you can do so by
5. Remove Disk No.l and insert Disk No.2 into the A: drive. adding a few extra characters (called arguments) to the start command.
6. Type COPY A:HEROES2.EXE and press Enter. EXAMPLE: Let's say you want to load the game with EGA graphics mode and
7. Type HEROES1 and press Enter. When the computer is finished music generated with an Ad Lib board (you must have an Ad Lib board
executing, type HEROES2 and press Enter. This will uncompress both installed). You'd type P51 adlib and then press Enter.
files and install the complete game into the P51 subdirectory. The order of the extra arguments doesn't matter as long as there's a space
8. Once the program has been uncompressed, you can delete the between each argument and they are typed in lower case.
extraneous file from your hard drive. Type DEL HEROES1.EXE and These are the arguments you can use:
press Enter. When the computer is finished executing, type DEL
HEROES2.EXE. vga Loads game with VGA graphics.
ega Loads game with EGA graphics.
9. Type CD\ and press Enter to return to the root directory.
j Loads game with joystick flight control.
10. Insert floppy Disk No.l into drive A:. Type COPY A:P51.BAT and press
Enter to finish installing the game onto your C: drive in the subdirectory k Loads game with keyboard flight control.
called P51. lo Loads game in low graphics detail mode (less detail speeds up
game play).
Starting Heroes of the 357th med Loads game in medium graphics detail mode (less detail speeds
up game play).
The program automatically detects the best graphics and sound modes for your
computer and starts the game in that mode. If you want to play the game in a hi Loads game in high graphics detail mode.
different graphics mode, see Startup Parameters. sound Loads game with sound on.
Note: You may need to remove TSRs present in your system (Terminate-and- nosound Loads game with neither music nor sound.
Stay-Resident programs, such as Sidekick) before starting Heroes of the 357th.
These utility programs can take up space needed to run the program. You can pc Loads game with PC internal speaker sounds.
temporarily avoid these TSRs by booting from your original DOS disk. See adlib Loads game with AdLib sound card sounds.
Problems With The Game? for instructions on removing TSRs.
tandy Loads game with Tandy sound (VGA required).
quiet Loads game with neither music nor sound.
music Loads game with music on.
nomusic Loads game with music turned off.
8 9
Note: When you quit the game, the program automatically remembers all of SIGNING OUT A FIGHTER
that game's startup parameters, as well as all of the options selected from the
Options menu (except Time Factor, Unlimited Weapons, and Unlimited Fuel). Before you can fly, you have to sign out a fighter. Type in a name (no more than
The next time you start the game, just type P51 and press Enter, and those same 14 characters) and press Enter.
parameters and options will be in effect.
Hand Controllers
There are several hand controllers on the market which plug into the joystick
port. Most models have a directional pad on the left and four buttons on the
right. The directional pad works exactly like the handle on a joystick. The top
button toggles the cockpit and enemy views. The left button fires the machine
guns. The right button fires the missiles. The bottom button fires the cannons.

PRACTICE
After you install and start the program, the Midnight Software Inc. company
logo appears. Press Enter to go to the title screen. The title screen flashes the
credits. Press Enter to go to the Opening Menu. Select Practice.

SELECTING A MISSION
Now you're in the briefing room, awaiting orders. Since this is only practice,
you can choose what kind of mission you'll fly.

The names of the mission types should give you some idea of what they call for.
See Mission Types for more detailed descriptions of the mission types. If this is
your first time using this simulator, you should select Free Flight. The Free
Flight mission is a strafing run in Paris in which you can't crash or be shot
down. Fly this mission to get a feel for the controls and the weapons.
10 11

Picture of enemy ground target

Mission Briefing Since Free Flight is only a training mission, there are no actual targets on the
The Briefing Report informs you of your orders and provides useful facts about briefing film. Press Enter or the joystick button if you wish to skip past the
the mission, such as the name of the city where the target is, the kind of target, Briefing Film.
the expected level of opposition, who leads the flight, the date the actual
mission occurred, etc. When the Briefing Film ends, the Fighter Configuration screen appears
automatically.

CONFIGURE THE P-51

The Fighter Configuration screen lets you outfit the P-51 with the armament,
ordnance, and fuel tanks you require for the mission you've selected.

Target site
Once you've read the Briefing Report, press Enter to enter the Briefing Room.
Your commanding officer shows you the target site the location is indicated
by a white box on the map of Europe. Note the distance between the target site
and your base in England and use this determine how much fuel you should
carry.
Press the up/down arrows or move the joystick up/down to highlight an item;
After the commander shows you the target site, watch the Briefing Film. The
Briefing Film consists of pictures of the various targets you'll have an press the right arrow or move the joystick right to select. The moment you select
opportunity to destroy on the mission you've selected. The film runs at a an item, the P-51 rolls over and displays the underside of its fuselage, where the
constant rate unless you speed it up manually by pressing the spacebar. After tanks and weapons are mounted. Items are added in pairs to maintain the
the film begins, you can cycle through all the targets on the film screen as fast as airplane's centre of gravity. The items you select appear on their hardpoints
you like. under the wings.
12 13
You can remove items as easily as you added them. Press the up/down arrows FLIGHT STICK CONTROLS
or move the joystick up/down to highlight the item you with to remove. Press
The pilot uses the flight stick to roll, climb, and dive. In Heroes of the 357th, the
the left arrow or move the joystick left to remove the item.
flight stick is automatically coordinated with the rudder to produce even turns.
Notice that the combined weight of the pair of items you have highlighted
You can control the flight stick with a joystick or the keyboard. A joystick is
appears at the lower left hand corner of the menu, where it says weight. To the
right of that number is the avail. weight, which indicates how many more highly recommended.
pounds can be added to the P-51. Keep in mind that the heavier you make the Joystick The default control. Press Ctrl-J to activate the joystick.
P-51, the slower its maximum speed and the more sluggish its handling.
Pitch down
It's important to choose the proper configuration for the mission you're going to Pitch down & roll left Pitch down & roll right
fly. For example, if the target site is very far away, you need the 110 gallon drop
tanks to complete the mission and return safely home. For hints on configuring
your fighter for different missions, see Fighter Tactics. Roll left Roll right

When you've finished configuring and examining the P-51, you're ready to taxi
onto the airstrip. Press Enter or the joystick button to watch the takeoff
sequence. If you want to bypass the takeoff sequence altogether and go straight
to the air, press F1; if you just want to speed it up, press Enter.
The takeoff sequence followed by a map of Europe and a depiction of your Pitch up & roll left Pitch up & roll right
formation heading to the target site. Now is your last chance to change your
mind press Esc to return to the Fighter Configuration screen. Pitch up

Keyboard Press Ctrl-K to activate keyboard.

IN THE COCKPIT
You need to develop a"second-nature" familiarity with all the instruments and Pitch down
controls at your fingertips to get full use out of the P-51.

]
Once in the air, press H to call up the Help Menu. The Help Menu lists all the in-
flight key commands. This section explains all the commands in detail. When Pitch up
the Help Menu is up, the action is paused.
14 15
INSTRUMENT PANEL G-Meter
The G-Meter shows the number of g-forces you're pulling. If you pull more than
3 g's, you'll begin to blackout. Ease off to let more blood flow into your brain so
you can see. Blackouts are not available in EGA.
Artificial Horizon
Gunsight The artificial horizon shows the attitude of the wings to the ground. Think of
the wings as a line and the ground as a plane. Whichever way the line in the
artificial horizon is tilted, that's the way your wings are tilted.
Altimeter Artificial horizon Fuel Gauges
Flaps indicator
Airspeed indicator The left fuel gauge shows how much fuel remains in your internal tanks. The
Throttle handle right fuel gauge shows how much fuel remains in your drop tanks, when you're
Drop tank fuel gauge
carrying them.
Compass G-force meter Internal fuel gauge
WEAPONS CONTROLS
There are four different kinds of weapons to choose from.
Throttle Handle Machine guns
The throttle handle indicates the percentage of maximum power your motor is The P-51 comes factory-equipped with six Browning machine guns, three in
putting out. For example, when the needle on the handle points at 75, the each wing. You can't get rid of them and you can't add more. They are your
engine is putting out 75% of it's total power. Each key press increases or primary weapons; you'll rely on them in every mission. The machine guns are
decreases the throttle by 5%. mounted to fire in a line directly to the point at the centre of the gunsight. In
level flight, destroying a target is not difficult. Aiming your guns while rolling,
Press the + (plus) key on the numeric keypad to increase the throttle; press the -
(minus) key to decrease the throttle. diving, or climbing is another matter, as you have to lead your target using a
deflection angle.
Flaps Indicator Press the spacebar or the firing button on your joystick to fire machine guns.
When the flaps indicator is highlighted (red), the flaps are down. Putting the
flaps down increases the wing's surface area, thus increasing both lift and drag. 20mm Cannons
When the flaps are down, it's easier to pull out of a steep dive. Also, when The cannons pack a much stronger wallop than the machine guns, but they
you're flying low and slow, as on a strafing run, having the flaps down makes have a slower rate of fire. It's difficult to use them effectively in a dog fight,
the P-51 more manoeuvrable. since you can squeeze off only two rounds at a time. Cannons are best used
Press F to toggle flaps down/up. against larger ground targets such as bridges or a locomotives where too
many machine gun rounds would be required. They fire along the same line as
Altimeter the machine guns. Each cannon carries 43 rounds.
The altimeter indicates your altitude. The small hand shows feet above the Press 4 on the keyboard to fire cannons.
ground in thousands. When the long hand is turning clockwise, the P-51 is
gaining altitude. One complete revolution of the long hand indicates a change in 5 inch Rockets
altitude of 1000 feet. There are eight hard points under the wings for rockets. The rockets are
unguided and therefore very hard to aim at moving targets. They're more
Compass powerful and have a greater range than the cannons, which makes them good
The compass indicates your heading. North is at the top. for taking out the largest ground targets industrial buildings, etc. Be aware
that the rockets fire alternately from either wing. The ones from the right wing
Airspeed Indicator will fly to the right side of the gunsight, the ones from the left will fly to the left.
The air speed indicator shows your forward velocity in miles per hour. Press 1 (one) on the keyboard to fire a rocket.
16 17
Bombs Chase Plane View F2
There are two sizes of bombs to choose from: 250 lb. and 500 lb.
The Chase Plane View shows a view from directly behind the P-51, as though
Press 2 on the keyboard to drop a bomb. you were in another plane chasing yourself.
Drop Tanks
Weapons View F3
Drop tanks are intended for use as auxiliary fuel tanks, but when dropped they
can cause destruction. Generally speaking, you'll drop the tanks to make the P- When you fire a weapon, the Weapons View follows the bomb or the rocket to
51 lighter so you can manoeuvre more deftly in combat, and the tanks will fall its target, or until it explodes. You can press F1 to get back to your cockpit after
harmlessly onto the wide terrain below. But if you find yourself flying low over watching the bomb or rocket.
enemy territory, you might try to hit a target of opportunity with your drop
tanks. Front View F4
Press 3 on the keyboard to release a drop tank. The Front View shows a view from directly in front of the P-51 looking back.
FLIGHT VIEWS Left View F5
Heroes of the 357th comes with numerous different flight views. The two views The Left View shows a view from the left side of the P-51.
used most often are the Pilot View and the Combat View. Accordingly, the
program uses the number 2 button on your joystick as a toggle switch between Right View F6
these two views.
The Right View shows a view from the right side of the P-51.

Top View F7
The Top View shows a view of the P-51 from above. The Top View is
particularly useful in formation flying, allowing you to keep track of your
bombers and wingman.

Pilot View F1 Combat View F8

At the beginning of every mission, you see the Pilot View with the instrument As stated above, the Combat View is critical. If there is an enemy in the vicinity,
panel. The Pilot View is the only view that offers the gunsight, so you should the Combat View shows you the enemy in his position relative to the P-51. If
return to it often when in combat to fire at the enemy. there is more than one enemy in the vicinity, the Combat View shows you the
enemy nearest to your P-51, unless you have selected a different enemy using
You can also hide the instrument panel to give you a wider view of the combat the E key (see Engage Enemy), in which case the Combat View defaults to that
environment. Press backspace to remove/replace the cockpit. enemy.

Overview F9
The Overview continuously pans clockwise a wide circle around the P-51 from
slightly above the plane. This view is useful for taking stock of your general
surroundings, both on land and in the air.

Moving View F10

The Moving View offers a rapidly changing pan of the P-51, from close up to far
away, from beneath the wings to overhead. If you're between dogfights and you
want a full appreciation of the 3-dimensional world, try the Moving View.
18 19
Wing Leader Views Shift-F5
Foreground plane - you You are the Wing Leader (also called Red Leader and Red One by your
wingman). The Wing Leader Views command reverses the Shift-F6 command
and restores the F keys to their primary functions. You can accomplish this also
by pressing Shift-F6 until you return to your P-51's view, but Shift-F5 is usually
a little faster, especially when there are more than two planes in the air.
Bottom View Shift-F7
Background plane = your The Bottom View shows the underside of the P-51.
wingman
Reverse Combat View Shift-F8
The Reverse Combat View shows your enemy in the foreground and you in the
background. It gives you a chance to predict just how your enemy might choose
View to Target Shift-F1 to manoeuvre into an advantageous position.
The View to Target shows the P-51 in the foreground and the nearest major As with the regular Combat View, the Reverse Combat View shows the
ground target in the background. Major ground targets are indicated by icons or perspective of the nearest enemy fighter, unless you have chosen a different
flags on the flight map (for more information, see Flight Map). Some missions, opponent with the E (Engage Enemy) command. (See Engage Enemy for
including all bomber escort missions, do not offer any major ground targets, in description of Engage Enemy command.)
which case this view remains inactive. The major targets on bomber escort
missions, while indicated by icons or flags, are assigned to the bombers. COMMAND WINGMAN TO REGROUP
View from Target Shift-F2 Your wingman automatically engages an enemy at the beginning of an air
battle, but if you would rather have him protecting your rear or protecting the
The same circumstances apply to View from Target as to View to Target (see bombers, you can command him to regroup. Remember, on escort missions, this
above.) You see the target closest to the P-51 in the foreground and the P-51 command orders him back to the bomber formation, and on all other mission
itself in the background.
this orders him to fall in behind you.
Fly-by View Shift-F4 Press Shift-R to Command Wingman to Regroup.
The Fly-by view show the P-51 and your wingman (if present) approaching the When you issue this command, your wingman disengages from the enemy and
camera and flying past it. The camera then follows the P-51 from behind. regroups. If, on his way back, the wingman encounters a new enemy, he will
engage that enemy. When this happens, you must issue the command again if
Other Plane Views Shift-F6 you want him to break off combat. When there are no more enemies in the area,
the wingman returns automatically. (See the Bomber Escort for more about
This key command toggles through the cockpit views of all the fighters in the Command Wingman to Regroup.)
air. Note that this is a mode change, in which all view commands work for the
plane whose view you chosen. The name of the selected plane is listed on the
left side of the screen. ENGAGE ENEMY
This command serves two distinct purposes. First, the Engage Enemy command
Even though you're looking out of the cockpit of another fighter, you maintain countermands the Regroup command. If you ordered your wingman to regroup
control of all the functions of your P-51- flight stick, weapons, bail out, etc. To
and then decide you want him to re-engage his nearest enemy, go ahead and
return to your own Cockpit View, keep toggling through the Other Plane Views
use this command.
until you come to yours, or press the joystick button 2 twice.
Press E to countermand the Regroup command.
Secondly, the Engage Enemy command works in conjunction with the Combat
View (F8) and the Reverse Combat View (Shift-F8) by giving you the
opportunity to select from among more than one enemy for viewing.
Press E to toggle through separate Combat Views (or Reverse Combat Views) of
active enemies.
20 21
When there is more than one enemy in the sky, pressing E shows you the fighter The airplane silhouette on the flight map represents the P-51. If you lose your
nearest you, just like the F8 (Combat View) command, except the F8 command bearings, you should zoom the flight map out to get a larger perspective. When
does not give orders to your wingman. Pressing E again shows you the next you go down low to strafe, you might like to zoom the flight map in to find
nearest fighter, and so on. Now, when you switch to the Combat View or the targets more easily.
Reverse Combat View during that same engagement, you see the last fighter Press Z to zoom the flight map in; press Shift-Z to zoom the flight map out.
selected by the Engage Enemy command, as long as that enemy fighter is still in
the air. When the engagement is over and the next wave of fighters arrives, the
command is reset to default to the nearest enemy. PILOT BAIL OUT
You can eject anytime you want, but it's always bad form to bail out too early.
AUTOPILOT When you bail out, you will either be taken prisoner or escape capture. Press
Shift - B or Shift-J to bail out.
The Autopilot is active only on Bomber Escort missions. Press A to activate the
Autopilot. To deactivate the autopilot, move the joystick, change the throttle, or
move the flaps. REPLAY
By activating the Autopilot, you command the P-51 to fly the shortest route You can replay the last few seconds of any mission at any time. The replay tape
back to the bomber formation at top speed. This is useful when you get lost, or shows a wide-angle panning view of the action. Also, you can change to
find yourself too far away from your bombers and want to get back to them as different views during the replay. The action is paused while you're watching
quickly as possible. If all the bombers have been destroyed, the Autopilot the replay, but resumes automatically when the replay ends.
becomes inactive. (See Bomber Escort for advice on Autopilot.) Press R for a replay view. If you want to change the replay view, press F9. If
you want to end the replay early, press R.
THE FLIGHT MAP
The flight map is useful in virtually every mission. At high altitudes, use the PAUSE
flight map to locate cities and target sites and to track V1 "buzz" bombs. Target Press P to pause the action. Press any key to resume flying.
sites are marked with colourful icons when you destroy a major target, the
icon representing that target disappears from the flight map.
At low altitudes, use the flight map to locate both major targets and targets of
opportunity on the ground. A target of opportunity is defined as an enemy
target whose destruction is useful but not critical. Targets of opportunity do not
appear as icons on the flight map and their point values are relatively small.
(See Ending A Mission for a complete explanation of the scoring.)
Press M to toggle the flight map on/off.

You Major targets

22
GAME OPTIONS Shaded Horizon 23
Heroes of the 357th comes with a variety of useful game options. Press O to Available only with VGA graphics. The shaded, or dithered, horizon gives the
bring up the Options Menu. When the Options Menu is up, the action is paused. illusion of distance. If you turn the shading off, the speed of the simulation
increases slightly.
Automatic Replay
When you select this option, the program automatically pauses the action
whenever there's a kill and replays the dramatic moments of the battle.
View Cuts
With the view cuts option on, the program automatically switches to a brief rear
view of enemy fighters as they show up to engage you. First you receive the
message telling you how many"bandits" are approaching and from what
direction, and then you actually see the bandits from behind for a few seconds.
When view cuts is on, you can identify the enemy fighters long before you
engage them.
Weapon View F3
Press the up/down arrows to highlight an option, and then press the left/right Turn this option on to automatically follow your bombs or rockets to their
arrows to change the option's setting. When you're ready to resume flying, targets the moment you release them. The view will follow the bomb or rocket
press Enter to confirm your choices, or press Esc to exit without saving changes. until it explodes or disappears.
Sound
Turn engine and weapon sounds on or off.
Music
Turn the theme music on or off.
Blackout
Warning Beeps Available only with VGA graphics. When you have the blackout option on, the
Warning beeps signal you when the P-51 is in danger of crashing or stalling. screen becomes dark when you pull too many g's, as the blood is forced out of
You will hear them when the P-51 is descending too rapidly at too low an your head and you begin to lose consciousness. These days pilots wear special ,v
altitude, or ascending too steeply at too slow an air speed (a stall). suits to reduce the effect of g-forces, but you don't have the benefit of that
luxury.
For example, when you're flying at 20,000 feet, you can go into a steep dive
without hearing the warning beeps. But if you're at 5,000 feet and suddenly fall Time factor
into a vertical dive, the warning beeps will come on. This option is particularly
The time factors (l/2x, lx, 2x, and 4x) control the speed of the simulation. When
useful on strafing runs, when you need to fly low to the ground. If you think
you're going to crash, pull back on the flight stick and put your flaps down. you start out, you are always on lx. You can use the Options Menu to change the
Time Factor, or you can use the keyboard. Press T to decrease Time Factor;
When the warning beeps alert you that the P-51 is about to stall, point the nose press Shift-T to increase Time Factor. To automatically reset the Time Factor to
downward, pull the flaps in if they're out, and kick the throttle up to 100 %. lx, press Ctrl-T.
When you're in a stall you can't manoeuvre, and this can cost you your airplane
As soon as enemies come into view, the time factor immediately drops to lx. If
and your life if an enemy has you in his sights.
you choose to make the action slower still by setting the time factor on 1 /2x, the
Detail Level program will keep it there until you change it. Otherwise, it will default to lx
when you engage the enemy.
This option allows you to select the amount of graphic detail on the screen. The
greater the detail, the slower the screen updates the images.
24 Press Enter or the joystick button to turn to the next page of the Debriefing
25
Unlimited Weapons
Report, where you receive a written account of your success or failure, and how
This option automatically gives you unlimited use of all the weapons in the it will effect the war.
game: machine guns, cannons, rockets, and bombs. You don't need to select any
weapons from the Fighter Configuration screen to have them on board when you Once you've read the report, press Enter or the joystick button to go to the
select this option. Squadron Room. Your buddies will make remarks about your performance for
the day. If you're not upholding the reputation of the illustrious boys from the
Unlimited Fuel 357th, then you are tarnishing it and deserve their scorn. If you are KIA or
When you choose this option you have an endless supply of fuel, regardless of POW, naturally you won't be there to know what they said about you.
whether you outfitted the P-51 with drop tanks. Press Enter or the joystick button to open the latest News Bulletin. Read the News
Bulletin to find out h o w things are going in other parts of the war.

ENDING A MISSION
You can end a mission at any time. Press Esc to bring up the Exit Menu. When
the menu appears, press Y to end the mission; Esc again to resume flying; or X
to exit to DOS.
If you complete a mission, crash, or get shot down, the program automatically
returns you to the base, where the debriefing takes place. Bomber Escort
missions, V1 Intercept missions, and certain Strafing Runs end on their own
after all the enemy fighters and major targets have been hit and you receive
the"mission accomplished" message. Fighter Sweeps and Strafing Runs without
major ground targets go on as long as you want them to, or until you run out of
fuel.
Once you've read the news, press Enter or the joystick button to return to the
At the end of a mission you'll see the landing sequence, as long as you didn't
Opening Menu. Once you've flown a mission, a new option appears on the
bail out or perish. If you want to bypass the landing sequence, press Enter. menu: Replay Last Mission. This selections allows you to turn back the clock
If you shot down one or more enemy fighters or bombed a major target, you get and try the previous mission again, as though you had never attempted it.
to paint a symbol of your kill on the left side of the fuselage.
Next comes the Debriefing Report. In the Debriefing Report you learn all the
significant facts about your mission and are given a score. The mission score can
be positive or negative, depending on how many aircraft you shot down or lost,
how many civilian and enemy targets you destroyed, etc. The mission score is
added to, or subtracted from, your Total Score.
26 27
TOUR OF DUTY The menus display eight pilot names per page. If the pilot you want is not on
the first page of the menu, press the down arrow to highlight the last name on
The Tour of Duty consists of thirty-four separate missions in the same the menu, then press the arrow once more to bring up the next menu. To bring
categories found in the Practice mode. You can't alter the sequence in which the up the previous menu page, highlight the name at the top of the page and then
missions are flown call it fate or the forces of history. press the up arrow once.
Pilots created during Practice are not saved and so cannot be used in Tour Of
Duty. When you enlist a new pilot for the Tour of Duty, that pilot remains on CHOOSE AN ACTIVE PILOT
the pilot list unless he is discharged. Pilots are either Active, Killed in Action, or
Prisoners of War. When you select Choose an active pilot, a list of all the active pilots appears.
Select the pilot you want to be.
The program automatically saves the stats for each pilot when you quit the
The Briefing Screen appears, followed by the Briefing Film, etc just like in
game. The next time you select a pilot for the Tour of Duty, you will begin
Practice mode.
where that pilot left off, without the option to replay his last mission.
After you select Tour of Duty, the Pilot Selection Menu appears. Use this menu to When you return to Tour of Duty after performing a mission, you have the
choose an active pilot, create a new pilot, get rid of a pilot, bring a pilot back to opportunity to choose that same pilot again from the top line of the menu. Or
life, erase all the pilots, look at a pilot's stats, or check the list of top aces. you may choose another pilot. If all the active pilots are either killed in action or
prisoners of war, none are active. In this case, you must either restore one or
enlist a new one.
There is one secret ground target in a certain patrol over Berlin
which does not appear on the flight map: Adolf Hitler's bunker.
Find and destroy Hitler's bunker and you'll receive a huge bonus.

Create a Pilot
If this is your first time attempting the Tour of Duty, you need to create a pilot
before you can begin flying. The program automatically saves all the pilots you
create, so they will always be available unless you delete them. The program
prompts you to enter your name if there are no pilots available. If there is at
least one pilot available, the program brings up the Pilot Menu.

CHOOSE ANOTHER PILOT

Select Choose another pilot for a list of all the pilots. Select one of the pilots and
proceed.

ENLIST A NEW PILOT

Select Enlist a new pilot to bring up the pilot naming box. Type in a new name
and proceed.

RESTORE A PILOT KIA OR POW

Select Restore a pilot KIA or POW to bring up a list of all the pilots killed in
action or taken prisoner. Select a pilot and proceed.
 29
DISCHARGE A PILOT SHOW TOP ACES
Select Discharge a pilot to bring up a list of all the pilots available for discharge The list of top aces appears at the end of each Tour of Duty mission, but you can
appears. Select the pilot you wish to discharge. The program asks you to verify also take a look at it at the beginning of a new mission by selecting Show top
your selection. Press Y to confirm the discharge or N to cancel it. Remember, aces.
discharged pilots are gone for good.

CLEAR ROSTER
Select clear roster to delete all pilots, scores, and statistics. The program asks
you to verify your selection. Press Y to clear the roster or N to cancel it. If you
press Y, you're asked to name a new pilot. Type in a name and press Enter.

REVIEW A PILOT'S STATS

Select Review a pilot's stats for a list of all the saved pilots. Select one of the
pilots from the list.

The aces are ranked in order of points. The pilot with the most points is at the
top of the list.

CONGRATULATIONS
When you distinguish yourself in battle, the high command offers you a hearty
congratulations for doing your part in winning the war.

A box appears showing the pilot's name, number of missions flown, number of
targets destroyed, the number of kills in the air, and his score to date. Press MISSION TYPES
Enter or Esc to return to the Pilot Selection Menu.
There are 34 missions contained in the categories below.
Fighter Sweep: A well-executed fighter sweep rids an area of enemy fighters.
Here you will focus exclusively on air combat tactics. You'll probably need to
consult the Enemy View (F8) often to get your bearings during the many
dogfights you'll have to win to complete the mission. Between waves of enemy
fighters, or after the last wave, you can strafe ground targets if you want to. The
program will not end a fighter sweep automatically. You must press Esc when
you want to return to the base.
Bomber Escort: On a bomber escort mission, your job is not only to keep enemy
fighters from shooting down your bombers, but you might also find time to
drop a load of ordnance yourself. Use the autopilot feature to return to your
bomber formation if you become detached during a fight. Bomber Escort
missions end automatically after the bombs are dropped and all enemy fighters
have been shot down.
30 31
Strafing Run: On a strafing run you are responsible for eliminating ground ENEMY FIGHTERS
targets with your guns, cannons, rockets or bombs. Enemy fighters will
probably try to thwart your efforts eliminating them should be your first Below are descriptions and flight characteristics of all the enemy fighters you
priority. When strafing, make sure to cut your throttle a little and put out your will face. In general, the enemy fighters are dark on top and light on the
flaps. This way you can fly slowly and low to the ground while still maintaining underside, and friendlies are light on top and dark on the underside. If you
lift. Strafing Runs selected from the Practice menu do not end automatically, want to see a close-up of the enemy fighters, press Shift-F8 when the enemy is
though when you run out of fuel and/or ammo it's time to return to the base. present in the skies. The briefing reports for some of the missions specify only
Press Esc to return to the base. the expected level of fighter resistance, not the actual type of fighters you will
be engaging.
Special Weapons: Special Weapons missions are just like Strafing Runs and
require the same tactics. The only difference is that on a Special Weapons
mission you must take out one or more major ground targets in order to BF109
complete the mission. Major ground targets are indicated by colourful icons on The Messerschmitt 109 is a light, highly manoeuvrable fighter. Somewhat
the map. When you destroy all the major ground targets, the mission ends slower than the P-51, the Bf-109 can neither outrun nor outclimb you, but at
automatically. lower altitudes you'll have a hard time drawing a bead on it in close combat.
V1 Intercept: The V1 "Buzz Bomb" is an unmanned, unguided, jet-propelled Few of the enemy pilots will climb to engage you when you have a significant
missile. All you have to do is catch up to it and knock it out of the sky, but the altitude advantage, and the Bf-109 pilots are particularly leery of high-altitude
longer you wait the more likely it is for the V1 to crash over friendly territory. combat. For armament they carry two MG-17 machine guns and one 20-mm
You may also have to contend with enemy fighters. When you destroy the V1 MG-151 cannon.
and kill all the enemy fighters, the mission ends automatically. If you miss the
V1, you might as well strafe targets of opportunity until your fuel and/or ME-110
ammunition runs out.
Although slower and somewhat less manoeuvrable than the Bf-109, the Me-
Free Flight: Fly to Paris in an indestructible airplane. In Free Flight, you cannot 110's powerful cannons can make up for its performance deficiencies. Avoid
be shot down or crash. Roam the skies over Paris, dogfighting and strafing at head-on passes in general, and especially head-on passes with Mel10s, as you
will. Practice gunnery, bombing, aerial manoeuvres without fear of dying. This will almost certainly sustain heavy damage if not lose the P-51 altogether. When
is not a real mission as there are no objectives press Esc when you want to a flight of Mel10s is approaching, point your nose upward to attain greater
return to the base. altitude, or turn inside toward the angle of their approach. Using this latter
tactic, you should be able to take out some or all of the Mel10s as they pass to
one side of you, without taking any hits. If one or more get by on the first pass,
GROUND SCHOOL you should be able to outmanoeuvre them and take them down without
The following section offers general information about the enemy and the exposing yourself to too much danger.
different mission types, and specific advice on how to deal with the more
difficult situations you will encounter. Fw-190
The Clock The Focke-Wulf 190 is more dangerous than the Me-110. It performs nearly as
Ever since pilots carried radios in their planes, the clock has been used to well as the P-51 at any altitude and is more heavily armed. In dogfights with
communicate the general direction of bogeys (unidentified aircraft) relative to Fw-190s, the better pilot usually prevails.
the pilot. Imagine your aircraft as the fixed point in the centre of a huge clock.
The nose of your plane always points to 12. Enemy aircraft are identified as ME-262
being located at positions on the face of the clock, with relative altitude
The Messerschmitt 262 Sturmvogel is a thorn in the side of the Yoxford Boys.
indicated as low or high. For example, "Bogey at 3 o'clock" would indicate an
With its two wing-mounted turbojets, it's much faster than the P-51, and its four
aircraft to the right; "Bogey at 3 o'clock low" would indicate an aircraft below
cannons can rip you (or one of your bombers) to shreds in seconds. On bomber
and to the right.
escort missions, try to keep the 262s occupied and away from your bombers if
you can't actually shoot them down. As long as your bombers reach the target,
site and drop their load, your mission is accomplished.
32
BATTLE DAMAGE
When the P-51 takes too many hits, a series of messages appears from your
wingman warning you to return home while you can still save your plane. If
you wish to follow your wingman's advice, press Esc and then Y to return to
end the mission. If you haven't completed your objective, the mission will be
counted as a failure.
Even though you've been hit, as long as the P-51 hasn't burst into flames you
can still fly it normally. You just have to be careful not to take any more rounds
or run into any flak. And there's an off chance that, even without being hit
again, the P-51 will burst into flames from the damage it's already absorbed.

FLAK
There's nothing you can do against flak, except take care of business as quickly
as possible and get out of the area. If you are forced to fly low, as on a strafing
run, and the enemy is firing off a lot of flak, you have little recourse but to pray
you don't get hit. The chances are good that the P-51 won't be brought down by
flak, but there are no guarantees in war.

COMMAND SUMMARY
FIGHTER TACTICS Weapons Controls
Flight Views
FIGHTER SWEEP Pilot View Spacebar Fire Machine Guns
F1
The purpose of a fighter sweep is to clear an area of enemy fighters. There are Chase Plane View 1 Fire Rocket
F2
no bombers to protect, so your auto-pilot and recall wingman commands are Weapons View 2 Drop Bomb
not functional. As in all missions where your first encounter is a gaggle of F3
Front View 3 Drop External Fuel Tank
bandits flying toward you, it's important to take out as many of the enemy as F4
possible in the first pass. Left View 4 Fire Cannon
F5
After the first pass, use necessary tactics to position yourself to get a good shot Right View
F6
on the enemy. Tactics during fighter sweeps vary according to the kind of
airplane you're facing and your skill as a pilot see the fighter descriptions F7 Top View
above for general comments about the different enemy fighters. Combat View
F8
If you're skilled enough, you can earn a lot of extra points during fighter sweeps Over View
F9
by taking out targets of opportunity on the ground. Fighters come in waves, so
if you wipe the first wave in short order you have time to swoop down and F10 Moving View
strafe ground targets before the next wave arrives. There is a risk inherent in Shift-F1 View to Target
this practice, though; if you return to dogfighting altitude too late, the enemy
fighters will have the drop on you. Experience makes all the difference in most Shift-F2 View from Target
of these missions. Shitt-F4 Fly-by View
Shift-F5 Wing Leader Views

Shift-F6 Other Plane Views

Shift-F7 Bottom View
Shift-F8 Reverse Combat View
Miscellaneous Flight Controls 37
BOMBER ESCORT
The Yoxford Boys fly bomber escort missions primarily. The most important
Esc End Mission A (Autopilot) Regroup objective in a bomber escort mission is to keep the enemy from shooting down
H Show Help Menu With Bombers your bombers. As a rule of thumb, never stray too far from the bomber
formation in pursuit of an enemy fighter.
O Show Options Menu F Toggle Haps up/down
Enemy fighters come in waves, often approaching head-on or nearly head-on.
P Pause Game E Command Wingman to With the help of your wingman, try to take out all the fighters in the first pass.
R Show Replay Engage Nearest Enemy Sometimes you will miss one or more of the fighters. You wingman will always
pursue an enemy (unless you command him to regroup), and it's up to you
M Toggle Map on/off Shift-R Command Wingman whether to help him, stay with the bombers, or pursue another enemy if one is
Z Zoom Map in to Regroup present.
Shift-Z Zoom Map out Backspace Toggle Cockpit on/off Don't let an enemy fighter take you too far away from the formation. If you're
having trouble finishing off the survivors of a first pass, return to the bomber
T Decrease Time Factor + (keypad) Increase Throttle formation using autopilot and wait for them to come to you. Press the F8 key
Shift-T Increase Time Factor - (keypad) Decrease Throttle often to keep track of where enemy airplanes are.
Ctrl-T . Normal Time Shift-J Pilot Eject
STRAFING RUN
Ctrl-K Select Keyboard Control Shift-B Pilot Eject
It's most important to remember to keep your flaps down and your throttle up
Ctrl-J Select Joystick Control when flying low. But watch your airspeed; pull your flaps in and lower your
Ctrl-C Center Joystick nose it if falls below 200 knots. Stalling this low is often fatal.
A strafing run can be easy or difficult, depending on whether or not the enemy
sends up fighters to defend his territory. If there are fighters in the air, you
should get rid of them first, as the low altitude required for a successful strafing
run leaves you in no position to dogfight.
If there is flak in the air, you might find it wise not to hang around too long after
finishing your business. Getting killed by flak is kind of a fluke, but it does
happen, and the longer you fly around in it, the better chance it has of taking
you out.
All weapons are useful in strafing runs. A few rounds from the machine guns
can destroy the smaller targets. The cannons are good for barges, bridges, small
buildings, and other medium size targets. Rockets are more powerful still, and
have a long range. Bombs and drop tanks, accurately placed, will destroy major
targets.

SPECIAL WEAPONS
This is a fantasy strafing run on the river Spree near Berlin. There is no enemy
opposition, and you are encouraged to carry weapons no Yoxford Boy ever
fired from a P-51. Practice flying low and aiming rockets and cannon-fire at
distant targets, and see if you can guess right with your bombs. No special
advice here; just use your throttle to control your speed.
38 39
V1 INTERCEPT
The V1 Intercept missions are among the most difficult in the simulation.
Typically, the V1 won't arrive until you're well into your patrol. While your
waiting to spot it, you'd do well to drop down and strafe as many targets as you Adapted from a work by Merle token resistance to the Allies'
can. But don't drop your flaps here, as you will need a lot of speed climb back Olmstead of the same title relentless bombing runs. During the
up when the V1 arrives. There can be no doubt that last year-and-half of the war, one
V1s usually come from the East at 10,000 feet. It's best to be at between 10,000 America's entrance into the European fighter group of America's 8th Air
and 12,000 feet before it appears. If you're still strafing when you get the theatre during World War II hastened Force distinguished itself as most
message that a V1 has been sighted, drop your bombs and tanks, switch on your Germany's demise, if not thwarted formidablethe 357thknown to
Hitler's dream of friend and foe alike
flight map (if it's not on), and beat it quickly up to 10,000 feet.
global domination. as"The Yoxford
The P-51, not carrying any drop tanks or bombs, is slightly faster than a"buzz For the first time in Boys".
bomb". The best way to take out the V1 is to position yourself due west of it and military history," air The 357th began
then fly east, straight toward it. The buzz bomb appears on the flight map, so superiority" was operational training
you can line yourself up easily, especially if you kick the time factor down to tantamount to officially on
1 /2x. If you're lucky, you can take it out in a head-on pass. victory. Whereas in December 1, 1942 at
the Great War Hamilton Field on
If you find yourself behind the V1, make sure you drop all bombs and tanks and legendary pilots the shore of San
then jam the throttle forward. At top speed, you'll eventually catch the V1 fought many Pablo Bay, just
before it explodes in a London suburb, as long as you have enough fuel. uncoordinated and north of San
If you're too close to take it head-on, but not yet behind it, pull back on the stick largely insignificant Francisco. Four of
until you are inverted, roll to level yourself out, and then come in from behind skirmishes in the the officers
at top speed. skies above the assigned early in
armies, the pilots, the training period
gunners, and bombardiers in World were to remain with the Group
War II manned aircraft of great throughout most of its existence:
speed, with the power to cause Major Donald Graham, Major Robert
massive destruction. Gone were the Romaine, Captain Alfred Craven, and
days of chivalrous knights jousting Captain Irwin H. Dregne. Combat
for honour and glory in motorized elements of the Group consisted of
kites, while on the battlefields below three fighter squadrons: the 362nd,
enemies and compatriots alike died 363rd, and 364th. In command of the
by the thousands of disease, squadrons were Major Hubert I.
starvation, exposure, and battle Egnes, Captain Stuart R. Lauler, and
wounds. Now air forces had a potent Captain Varian E. White,
hand in ending conflicts and sparing respectively. That two of the three
lives. And the primary role of fighter commanders ,-Egnes and White, -were
pilots in World War II was to escort combat veterans was a rare
bombers safely to strategically distinction indeed for the embryonic
selected targets, where the bombers unit. The original cadre had little to
would attempt to destroy the work with apart from the men
enemy's ability to make war. themselves. There were no aircraft at
When the U.S. Air Force arrived in all, nor vehicles of any kind for that
Europe in 1942, Britain's beleaguered matter; and office furniture consisted
Royal Air Force was barely holding of empty crates. The Group was not
its own against Goering's intended to do any flying from
indomitable Luftwaffe. But a few Hamilton Field. Nonetheless, the
years later the Luftwaffe was so 357th began to take shape.
crippled that it could offer only a In March of 1943, the Group now
40 41
formed into some semblance of order, petroleum refineries; and the 51B ensured an unprecedented radius scheduled for two days later.
the 357th was transferred to the Luftwaffe Command, short on fuel of action, allowing bomber escort The Group's first few missions
desolate surroundings of the Army for training operations, sent up missions deep into the heart of were uneventful, except for one bail
Air Base at Tonopah, Nevada for in- young, poorly-trained, though well- Germany. By mid-January, at least out over the North Sea due to
flight training. It should be noted that indoctrinated Nazi flyers to combat one veteran squadron-the354th-had mechanical failure. Lt. Robert W.
during World War II more American well-trained American fighter pilots. used the new P-51B to full advantage. Brown of the 262nd Squadron, unable
pilots died (and more aircraft were This fact accounts, at least in part, for Soon the pilots of the 357th would get to re-start his failed engine, jumped
lost) in training than in actual the astounding success of the 357th a chance to show their stuff. from his cockpit at 6000 feet, striking
combat; and 357th's stint in Tonopah Fighter Group in Europe. Late in January, officers from the his legs on the tail group as he
bears that out. In a one month period On December 7th, trained 358th Fighter Group arrived in fell away. It was his dubious
during June and exclusively in the Raydon Wood and distinction to be
July, there were now somewhat announced that they the first of many
eight training obsolete P-39, the were to take over 357th pilots
fatalities and pilots of the 357th the airbase. This was rescued by the
numerous bail-outs arrived at a newly news to the RAF's vigilant Air
and ground constructed airbase commanders of the Sea Rescue service.
accidents. The in Raydon Wood, 357th, as they had Brown contracted
frequency of such County Suffolk, received no official pneumonia from
calamities soon England. The group transfer orders. In a bobbing in the
decreased, and by commander was Lt. few days, the frigid water for 30
the end of the Col. Edwin S. resulting confusion minutes (twice the
summer the pilots Chickering. Once in subsided as the normal survival
and ground crews place, the Group orders were time) with one leg
had gained the was assigned to confirmed unequiv- broken and the
experience it would General Lewis H. ocally by the top other fairly
take to make a first-class fighter Brereton's 9th Air Force under the brass. It seemed there had been high- mangled. Soon after rescuers pulled
group. 700th Fighter Wing as part of the IX level debate concerning the best use him into the boat he slipped into a
In October, for their last phase of Fighter Command. The first North of the P-51. Initially, all the P-51s coma, which lasted for more than two
training before transferring to American P-51B Mustangs began were slated for the 9th Air Force to weeks. Happily, Lt. Brown survived.
overseas for combat duty, the to arrive a few weeks later, painted help in the upcoming invasion of It wasn't until a change in
Group's three squadrons were olive-drab. The Royal Air Force occupied France; but General William command that the 357th saw any real
separated. The 362nd went to (RAF) had been using the American E. Kepner thought they would be action. On February 17, Lt. Col.
Pocatello, Idaho, the 363rd to designed P-51 for some time, but best used for bomber escort missions Chickering was transferred and
Ainsworth, Nebraska, and the 364th for the pilots of the 357th it was a into Germany. His arguments won replaced by Col. Henry R Spicer,
to Casper, Wyoming. It was at these new species altogether. The out, and on January 14 the RAF and formerly Executive Officer with the
three bases that the pilots learned to Mustangs were slow in arriving, and AAF agreed that the majority of the 66th Fighter Wing. Col Spicer,
serve as escorts to bombers, mostly B- while the pilots waited for their P-51s would go to the 8th Air Force. sporting a fierce moustache, had
24s. This would be their primary mounts, they took ground-school Hence, the 357th swapped their base risen rapidly through the ranks. A
function. It's important to note that courses in aircraft identification, in Raydon Wood for a base 40 miles lieutenant when the war began, it
such a protracted and specified communications, and weather away, near a village named Yoxford took him scarcely a year and a half to
training regime proved instrumental conditions. just three miles from the coast of the become a full colonel. A consummate
for the United States Air Force's By New Years Day, the 357th had chilly North Sea. pilot and undauntable man's-man,
success against the Luftwaffe. While 15 P-51Bs. The principle virtue of the By February 5th, there were 74 P- Col. Spicer checked out a P-51 for the
it was important to join in the war B series was its improved power 51s on hand, bringing the 357th first time on February 19. The next
against Hitler without adieu, it was plant: the Packard-built Rolls Royce nearly to full strength, and making it day he flew a long combat mission to
necessary to make sure that the pilots Merlin. These new motors offered the first P-51 fighter group in the 8th Leipzig, Germany.
and attendant ground-crews superb high-altitude performance, Air Force. On February 9th the Since the previous Autumn, plans
maintain a high level of excellence. something badly lacking in the Group, now a little more than a year had been underway to mount an all-
Indeed, the Allies pressed the war to Allison powered P-51A. Outfitted old, was placed on full operational out campaign to wipe out the
its conclusion by bombing Germany's with two 75 gallon drop tanks, the P- status, and its first mission was German fighter force, or at least
42 cripple it substantially, as a where they were scheduled to since it marks the first time U.S Wounded in both feet, he was picked
43
prerequisite for the coming invasion rendezvous with bombers. The Forces had struck the German capital, up by the French underground and
of Europe. Operation ARGUMENT unusually high number of aborts that it's noteworthy in the records of the spent three weeks in several French
emerged in November 1943 as the day illustrates some of the problems Yoxford Boys. One day later, Col. homes recuperating from his
main plan through which this goal often faced by airmen of this era. Two Spicer, group commander for wounds. Finally, he made it across
could be achieved. The plan needed pilots turned back because their wing scarcely two weeks and already very the border into Spain on March 28,
one week of clear weather for the tanks would not feed, one for a lost popular with the men for both his with one companion, a Lt. Patterson.
heavy bombers to carry out a wing tank, one because his prop was leadership skills and his airmanship, Patterson was hit in the leg by a rifle
systematic series of attacks on the throwing oil, two for rough engines, would fly his last mission. The 8th round during the escape, and Yeager
German aircraft factories. The and one because he misread a hand Fighter Command had called for the later received the Bronze Star for
ensuing winter signal. The 362nd 357th to escort staying with his
months afforded no Squadron ran into bombers to wounded fellow
such favourable all the action that Bordeaux, France, a escapee.
conditions. Then, on day, scoring five very long haul to Meanwhile, the
February 19, 1944, kills and losing two southeast corner of untimely loss of
word came down pilots. the country. On the Col. Spicer did not
from the Weather It's hard to whole, the mission postpone the
Section of the USAF accurately gauge was a success, with duties of the 357th
that clear weather the effects of Big most of the bombers for even a day.
over central Europe Week's concerted dropping their loads The mantle of
was probable for attacks on German on target and the command fell on
the next seven days, fighter production 357th claiming seven the shoulders of
soon to be known facilities, but as it killed and four the Deputy
by the Allied forces marked the damaged. Col. Spicer Commander, Lt.
as"Big Week." The beginning of full- and his wingman, Lt. Col. Donald W.
operations during Big Week were scale long range fighter escorts into John Pugh of the 362nd Squadron, Graham, and on March 6, before his
directed at aircraft factories in Germany, it represents a turning were heading back home from the promotion had been made official,
Germany and occupied Poland. The point in the air war over Europe. Far battle over the target area when Graham lead the group out on its
first day of the attack was an overall from beaten, the Luftwaffe remained Spicer's P-51 was hit by flak. Spicer biggest day yet. Believing that the
success, with 941 heavy bombers dangerous for months to come, but it radioed his wingman that he skies would be clear, the High
dropping their loads at a cost of only was unable to respond in significant intended to climb up as high as he Command deemed it a perfect time
21 killed. Against modest opposition numbers to the Allied invasion four could and ride as far as possible for a visual bombing of Berlin, the
from the Luftwaffe, the pilots of the months later. Importantly for the before bailing out.. When the German capitol being all but
357th claimed just two enemy 357th, that week marked their Mustang caught fire, the colonel unscathed by previous aerial attacks.
fighters destroyed and two damaged inauguration into the war. Untried at bailed out and was picked up by the Specifically, the bombers were after
on the their first day of real action. the beginning of the week, by week's Germans, who sent him to a POW the Erkner Bearing plant, the BMW
Only four P-51s were damaged, all end the group was well on its way to camp. Toward the end of the war, the engine plant, and the Bosch electrical
from flak. being a battle tested unit. It had colonel was sentenced to death for works. But, as it turned out, the skies
Their next escort mission was more inflicted losses on the enemy, and it uncomplimentary remarks about his over Berlin were cloudy, and the 1626
successful in terms of kills, with a had paid the price in its own losses. captors. But the sentence was never tons of bombs brought by the 8th
total of seven Bf-109s brought down, On March 4, the 357th escorted one carried out, and Spicer survived the were badly scattered across the city.
including one by Col. Spicer; but the formation of 31 B-17s to Berlin. Cloud war. Being the only fighter group in the
Group paid the price of two pilots. cover was heavy, and the That same mission to Bordeaux area, 48 pilots of the 357th bore the
Col. Spicer claimed two more bombardiers used radar to target marked the beginning of a harrowing brunt of a fierce Luftwaffe resistance.
victories on February 24 on an escort their ordnance, with insignificant episode in the life of another hero of When the fighting was over, they
mission to smash an Me-110 factory results. Against light fighter the 357th: First Officer Charles claimed 20 enemy planes destroyed
in Gotha, establishing himself as the resistance, the 357th downed just Yeager. Yeager, who had notched his and suffered no losses, by far the best
group leader in more ways than one. three enemy aircraft and lost only first kill the previous day, was hit in a showing of any fighter group that
On the last day of Big Week, Col. one P-51. As a bombing run, the brief engagement with enemy day. As it happened, a flight of five
Spicer lead 47 P-51s to Regensburg, mission is barely worth mention; but fighters and forced to bail out. from the 264th Squadron found
44 45
themselves at treetop level near the The Group got a week's respite on March 29th, last mission of the by diving in from above. Instantly,
airfield at Ulzen after downing a lone in March, during which pilots month, underscored the constant the squadrons broke up into flights
Bf-109. These five pilots took this and ground personnel alike enjoyed threat posed by the elements. A few and elements and went after the
opportunity to strafe the airfield, the unprecedented luxuries of ample seconds of poor visibility and a enemy planes. As battles swirled
including several aircraft, the control sleep and unhurried breakfasts. moment of uncertainty sometimes across the skies, the still present P-38s
tower, and a nearby locomotive The vacation ended on the 16th lead to disaster in the air. Soon after got involved in the melees, and it
for good measure. This was the with a mission to Munich. 42 takeoff, while climbing through quickly became apparent that P-38
357th s first successful ground attack, Mustangs set out, but by the time the overcast skies, two flights became pilots were operating on the theory
unplanned as it was. Group reached the rendezvous point mixed and Lts. Gutierrez and that" if it has one engine, shoot at it!"
Two days later, the Yoxford boys at Stuttgart ten pilots had McGinley collided and crashed into As the air battle moved to
again were aborted because the Channel. Air Brunswick and on
assigned to escort a of mechanical Sea Rescue units the Magdeburg,
box of bombers to problems, leaving were on the scene in several P-51s were
Berlin. This time only 32 fighters short order but fired on by P-38s,
the Luftwaffe put to protect the found no survivors. including one
up a much weaker bombers. It was To cap an already which was busy
defense. Total over Stuttgart that bad day, Lt. Edwin destroying a Bf-109
claims for the day most of the combat Sutton did not that had just fired
amounted to six, took place. The return for unknown on a bomber crew
one of which went 357th took on reasons. descending in their
to Major Thomas L. some 40 or more
April started off parachutes. This
Hayes. The victory, Messerschmitts,
very slowly. On the was a good
plus two earlier Focke-Wulfs and
8th there was a illustration of the
109s and two Dorniers. Beside the
sortie with about 15 difficulty in
Japanese planes 357th's now identifying friend
German fighters
shot down in the Pacific Theatre, or foe in the confused and rapidly
characteristically lopsided victory over Brunswick. Five enemy planes
made him the first ace in the Group. changing events of aerial combat.
score over the Luftwaffe (12 kills vs 2 where shot down. The eventual
Hayes was one of the five pilots who in this battle), most noteworthy on leading ace of the Group, the renown Later in the month, the Allies'
had strafed the airfield at Ulzen the this day was the triple scored by Leonard "Kit" Carson, shared his first tireless bombing of German military
day before, which whetted his Capt. Jack Warren, who single- career victory that day with another targets and the favourable margin of
appetite for ground attack. He lead handedly shot down two Me-110s flyer. Three days later, in the same air-to-air combat victories appeared
his flight down to deck again, where and one Bf-109. Coupled with two familiar area, ensued one of the most to be taking some of the bite out of
he and Capt. Glendon Davis V each previous victories, these three kills spirited and violent engagements of the Luftwaffe. For two consecutive
destroyed a locomotive on the main made Warren the first pilot to reach the entire air war. The battle was so days in mid-April, the group escorted
line west of Brandenburg. ace status with all five scores as a confusing that some of the many kills bombing runs to Germany without
During these early missions, some 35th pilot. March continued quietly, went unattributed. The fight started opposition. These two"free"
of those who would become the with frequent missions but little near the target area after two German missions, coming on the heels of
Group's high scorers had begun to action. A few pilots increased their spotter planes picked up the some of the most intense fighting
show their ability. Lt. John England kill totals, a few died from severe formations at the enemy coast line on experienced by the Group thus far,
and Capt. Joseph Broadhead of the weather conditions, and the war the way in. As Luftwaffe fighters had a calming effect on most of the
the 362nd, Capt. Clarence Anderson continued. began to swarm around the bombers, pilots' nerves. But in every air force,
and Lt. Donald Bochkay from the On March 28th, the 362nd a group of unwitting P-38s bounced regardless of uniform or nationality,
363rd, and Lt. Richard Peterson of the Squadron conducted its first strafing the 357th while it was still in there are a few pilots who thrive on
364th had all scored multiples, but attack on an airfield, ten miles south formation and carrying drop tanks. the thrill of combat, and these few
none had reached the mythic of Paris. While less glamorous and Luckily, there was no immediate often extend their tours voluntarily.
pinnacle of ace. The end of the first knightly than dogfighting, strafing harm, and the 52 Mustangs were John England, the Group's fourth
month of operations showed claims runs could be just as dangerous. prepared to defend their charges leading scorer at the end of the
of 59-3-17 (59 destroyed, 3 probably Airfields surrounded by automatic when 50 single-engine enemy war, extended his tour five times,
destroyed, and 17 damaged) in the weapons, competently manned, saw fighters attacked from below while 8 so attached was he to the exhilaration
air and 0-4-0 on the ground. the deaths of many fine pilots. Events others attempted to create a diversion of air-combat.
46 To the large majority of fighter 47
Germany and occupied Czechosl- almost as soon as it arrived, and even braved combat usually fared badly.
pilots, however, it was a job to be ovakia. The Luftwaffe reacted so two pilots were killed, three P-51s On the 20th the Group added a new
finished as soon as possible. (There violently and in force, inflicting were lost, and some nine or ten type to its list when two pilots shot
was at least one man who joined the heavy losses (34) on the bombers. 100 aircraft returned with damage. down a Fieseler Fi Storch. The
profession to impress a woman.) To single engine fighters, in waves Except for the 26th of May, the downing of the inferior Storch by a P-
most of them, a long combat mission of about 30, tore through the Group flew a mission every day for 51 is indicative of how the air war
was a grueling experience. Strapped bombers and then reformed for the remainder of the month. In was going and would continue to go
into a seat for five to eight hours, another pass. When the 357th arrived addition to continuing its campaign for the Nazis. Four days later, Lt.
usually with an oxygen mask the 2nd wave of enemy fighters against Nazi oil, the 8th Air Nicholas Frederick became the first
rubbing the face raw, head were attacking. In the melee that Force began lending assistance 357th pilot to land at an Allied air
continually on a followed, ten Bf- to the tactical air strip in France and
swivel, often 109s and four Fw- forces in their then fly home.
fighting bad weather 190's were shot preparation for Clearly, the
and temperamental down. Once again, Operation Overlord. German occupation
instruments, sweat- the pilots of the This included forces were losing
ing out the flak- it 357th acquitted attacks on control.
was tough on the themselves adm- Normandy's heavily An historic
average man's irably, losing only fortified coastline, mission occurred
nerves, even when two P-51s, the pilot where airfields, on June 29th, when
the Luftwaffe chose of one surviving as com-munications the 8th Air Force
not to fight. The a POW. Later in the and transport lines, escorted 1150 B-17s
Berlin runs the month they artillery em- and B-24s on a
continued into May attacked targets in placements stood bombing run over
with good results. occupied Poland for ready. While largely Leipzig. Many
The third full month the first time and unmanned, these pilots scored
of operations ended on May 9th, and shot down a few Me 410s. targets needed to be made multiple kills against the Luftwaffe,
it was the most successful month to The latter part of May was as full of unserviceable in preparation for the and only 17 bombers were lostnone
date for the Group, with 73 action as the former was devoid of it. Allied invasion of German occupied to enemy fighters. In an enthusiastic
destroyed, 3 probables, and 20 Lt. Bob Foy, who with 20 kills would France. message at the end of the day,
damaged. The three month air totals end the war two kills behind Kit General Kepner ("Old Man" of VIII
D-Day came on June 5th, 1944. The
were 152-8-44. Carson, scored a triple on May 19th Fighter Command, as he signed the
357th flew eight missions that day
By the early Spring of 1944, Allied on a now familiar but seldom dull and four the next, most without message) commended all
planners had reached a decision run over Berlin. event. The Luftwaffe was all but groups," particularly the 357th and
which would have a devastating On the 21st, the 357th set out on a absent from the fighting, and, as it the 361st, for the most outstanding
effect Germany's ability to continue ride across Germany for its first" became apparent that the tactical air escort job ever performed." With
the war-the"oil campaign" was about Chattanooga Choo-Choo" ground forces could handle ground support almost five months of combat behind
to begin. Well aware of their attack mission. For a change there on its own, help from the 8th Air it, the 357th claimed 3841 /2 airplanes
precariously low supply of petroleum were no bombers to watch over, as Force dwindled. The Luftwaffe's destroyed, all but 27 in the air. Two
products and of the vulnerability of the job was to shoot up any ground limited resistance during the week pilots were on the ace list, with
oil refineries, the Nazis had long targets worthy of a burst of 50 calibre following D-Day testifies to the one Clarence Anderson at the top, for
feared the coming attacks. The ammo. The three squadrons split up effectiveness of both Operation now.
campaign was begun by the 15th Air North of Berlin and set out in Argument and Overlord. Normandy The Group spent the remainder of
Force during April, with the 8th different directions. Most of the now secure, the 357th continued the year primarily on escort missions,
scheduled to join in on April 21st. But flights encountered little or no enemy flying missions to France and which were becoming more and
continuing bad weather delayed its fire and merrily strafed whatever Germany in an effort to further more routine. Due to the poorer and
initial participation until May 12th. they could find: train cars, airfields, weaken the Nazi war machine. poorer turnout by a reeling
Late as it was, it was a spectacular oil trucks, etc. But one group stirred After the 16th, the 357th returned Luftwaffe, the kills tapered off
beginning, with over 1,700 tons of up a hornet's nest at Tarnewitz to its usual escort duties. German slightly; but by January of the next
bombs falling with excellent results Aerodrome. Ground fire was so planes were scarce for the most part, year the 357th had its 40th ace and
on synthetic oil plants deep in heavy that the flight had to head back and the Luftwaffe squadrons who held the 8th and 9th Air Force record
48 49
for the most enemy aircraft shot before they could break through. It finished beating up the area and of P-51s in commission dropped
down in one day, with 56.5 kills on was found also that the escort could quickly joined in the action. Col. to about ten. In August 1946, the
January 14. On that historic day Capt. not permit itself to be lured away in Dregne, the last to leave the area, 357th Fighter Group reached the end
Chester Maxwell and Lt. Raymond pursuit of the jets, because the latter, reported 50-60 fires burning at that of the line when deactivation
W. Bank scored triples, and a host of with their superior speed, were able time; and claims submitted were for orders became effective. The
pilots scored double kills. Lt. Gen. to turn back into the bombers, 23 aircraft destroyed, including a lone following day, the unit was
Jimmie Doolittle, Commander of leaving the slower Mustangs far He 177. The description of this action redesignated the 121st Fighter Group
the 8th Air Force, recommended behind. gives a good picture of the state of and assigned to the Ohio National
the 357th for a Distinguished Unit On the 19th of March the Me-262s the war in early April- an almost Guard. The orders concluded with
Citation:"You gave the hun the scored heavily on the B-17s, sending defenceless airdrome under attack by the statement that the 121st was
most humiliating four of them down. so many Allied "entitled to history,
beating he has Col Evans' mission fighters that the battle honours
ever taken in report indicated biggest danger for and any colours
the air. Extend 19 chutes were the P-51 pilots was earned by unit
my personal observed from the collision. during previous
admiration and four bombers. But In the days active service. "The
congratulations to March 24th showed following, there present 121st Tactical
each member of the return of Allied were escort missions Fighter Wing, with
your command, superiority, as the on the 11th, 16th head-quarters at
both ground and 357th scored 16 kills and 17th of April. Lock-bourne Air
air, for a superb with no losses and a That day Col. Force Base, is a fully
victory." At the end good number of Dregne led 64 P-51s combat ready unit
of one year in ground targets to Aussig, where assigned to the
England the Group destroyed during the b o m b e r s hit Tactical air
score stood at 545 an area patrol over the chemical works. Command.
enemy aircraft destroyed in the air the Ruhr Valley. The 8th Air Force The 19th of April 1945 was the last In fifteen months of combat, the
and 54 on the ground. continued its escort and strafing time the 357th was to fire its guns in accomplishments of the 357th Fighter
By February 1945 the Luftwaffe missions, gradually reducing the anger, and it was to be the Group's Group had been varied and many. It
was dying under the steamroller of number of functional Axis best day against the Me-262s. It had flown 318 combat missions and
overwhelming Allied air power. It airfields. was, appropriately enough, a bomber had claimed 592-15-118 enemy planes
was short of everything except As in many parts of the world, in escort to Pirma, Czechoslovakia in in the air and 120-74 on the ground.
aircraft, the most critical shortage mid-April there was considerable two formations led by Lt. Col. Jack Of the enemy planes destroyed in the
being aviation fuels and, as a result, dismay at the death of President Hayes. The Germans sent up a slew air, 314 1/2 were Me 109s, 181 1/2
the near elimination of training hours Franklin D. Roosevelt; and memorial of Me-262s, but most of them avoided were FW-190s and 20 were
and a drastic reduction in operational services were held in the base chapel combat. And late in the afternoon of unidentified in Group records,
flying. But contrary to the declining on the 15th. Across the Channel in. April 25, four Mustangs led by Lt. Ed though most were 109s and 190s. In
activity of the Luftwaffe as a whole, Europe, Hitler's Third Reich was. Hyman in his"Rolla U-Bar" G4-P accomplishing these claims, 43 pilots
the frequent and aggressive attacks tottering and would soon fade into: flew the last wartime mission of the became air aces and 9 became
on the bombers by Me-262s increased history as another dark page. With 357th. Thirteen days later World War a i r / g r o u n d aces. Cold statistical
markedly during March. The pilots of the number of airfields available to II in Europe also ended. figures cannot adequately picture the
these jets made every effort to avoid the Luftwaffe severely reduced, the By the middle of July advance air cost of these scores, but they do show
combat with escorting fighters, remaining fields were packed with and ground parties had left for that it wasn't easy. A total of 144
concentrating instead on the bomber aircraft and provided lucrative Germany and the Army of pilots were lost, either in action or
boxes. To counter this new threat, targets for strafing. One was Occupation. The move to an ex- through accidents, but almost half of
new escort tactics were devised: Neuruppin, about 40 miles north of Luftwaffe station at Neubiburg, near them returned from prison camps
Instead of the former loose perimeter Berlin, where an estimated 150 Munich, spelled the end of the "old" after the war. In June 1945 there were
around the bomber boxes, the aircraft were dispersed in the woods 357th. Great numbers of old-timers 73 pilots known dead or still missing
fighters now moved in closer to the north of the field. The 357th arrived and officers began departing for in action. This did not include the 13
bombers, permitting them to turn on the scene just as the 339th Fighter home. Because of the lack of killed in training in the States. May
into attacking jets and drive them off Group and other assorted flights maintenance personnel, the number they all rest in peace.
50 57
APPENDIX OF AIRPLANES:
North American P-51D Mustang
Without a doubt the most famous fighter plane of World War II, the P-51
Mustang was originally rejected by the USAAF. It was originally designed and
built as a ground attack aircraft for the RAF. North American's president
promised the British a fighter superior to the P-40, in spite of its being powered by
the same engine. And he was able to deliver on that promise because of the P-51's
revolutionary new airframe. On its first test flight the Mustang exceeded the top
speed of the P-40 by a full 25 mph. The RAF got its first P-51s in November of
1941, but before North American could go ahead and sell them to the British the
USAAF wanted to take a look at them. But after extensive testing by experienced
combat pilots (who unanimously favoured the new fighter), the USAAF did not
place an order.
The Mustang's one shortcoming lay in its Allison motor, which performed poorly
at medium to high altitudes, where most air-combat took place. For this reason,
the RAF outfitted its first Mustangs with cameras and used them for
reconnaissance. Realizing that the superior airframe of the Mustang was being
cheated of its full potential by a sub-standard motor, in November of 1942 the
RAF sent five of them to Rolls-Royce to be outfitted with the best Merlin
supercharged engines. Predictable as the result might have been, the airplane
astonished pilots and engineers alike. The marriage had produced a plane at least
50 mph faster (440 mph), with a much swifter rate of climb and a substantially
greater range. Equipped with drop-tanks, the P-51D could traverse up to 2,300
miles, making it ideal for long range escort. Its six .50 calibre machine guns made
it both a formidable opponent in the air, and an effective troop and airfield strafer.
Also, the Mustang could carry 2000 lbs. in bombs, and it was occasionally called
upon to do so. Mainly, though, the P-51 Mustang was an awesome fighter. In the
course of its service in Europe Mustang pilots destroyed nearly 9,100 enemy
aircraft both in the air and on the ground-a full 49 percent of all his lost aircraft,
not counting the some 230 V-l "buzz-bombs" it shot down. So fast and agile was
the fighter that it even notched several victories over Germany's first jet-aircraft.
After the war, the Mustang saw duty in Korea, where it performed well until the
MiGs showed up.
Specifications: Type: Single-seat fighter; Power plant: One 1,590 hp Packard-built
Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650-7 liquid-cooled engine;
Wingspan: 37.0 ft; Length: 32.2 ft; Height: 13.7 ft; Weight: 7125 lbs; Maximum Speed:
437 mph; Climb: 3,475 ft/min; Ceiling: 41,900 ft; Range: 950 to 2,300 miles;
Armament: Six Browning MG53-2 machine-guns in wings.

P-51 Mustang
52 Hoeing B-17F Flying Fortress
Originating as a private venture by Boeing, the B-17 got off to a shaky start when
the prototype crashed on takeoff in military trials. But evidence showed that
human error was to blame, and the USAAC placed a small order in 1936. The first
B-17 powered by a turbocharged engine was the B-17B, 39 of which the USAAC
took delivery of in 1938. As war became imminent in Europe, the RAF ordered 20
versions of the subsequent B-17C, which they tested and helped improve. The
next two models had better armour and self-sealing gas tanks.
It was the B-17F that best befitted the appellation"flying fortress". It carried one
.30 inch and twelve .50 inch guns positioned from nose to tail, and up to 17,600 lbs
of bombs. Despite its heavily armoured airframe and wealth of defensive
weaponry the B-17F suffered severe losses against the Luftwaffe fighters over
Germany, where it bore the brunt of U.S. daylight bombing missions. Numerous
variations on the Flying Fortress cropped up, including transports, air-sea rescue
aircraft, even pilotless, radio-controlled bombers. In all, more than 12,700 B-17s
were built.
Specifications: Type: High altitude bomber; Power Plant: Four 1,200 hp Wright R-
1820-97 Cyclone nine-cylinder radials with exhaust driven turbochargers.
Wingspan: 103.8 ft; Length: 73.8 ft; Height: 19.1 ft; Weight: 31,150 lbs (loaded);
Maximum Speed: 317 mph; Ceiling: 35,000 ft; Range: 1,100 miles; Armament: 13 0.50
machine-guns and 17,600 lbs in bombs.

B-17 Fortress
54 55
Focke-Wulf FW-190 A-8
Patterned after the Hughes racer which had broken the air-speed record in the
U.S., the FW-190 was a marvel in compact design. The bulky but reliable air-
cooled radial engine posed a challenge to engineers, whose task it was to reduce
drag and increase manoeuvrability; and the engineer, Kurt Tank, succeeded
admirably. What he and his team came up with was a very small, light-weight,
all-metal fighter-bomber capable of carrying heavy armament. Indeed, it was the
most heavily armed single-engined fighter of its day. Although the first 190s were
in service before the war began, the RAF knew not of their presence. Their first
appearance in the air-war over France in 1941 caused a great deal of alarm to the
Allies. Not only was the FW-190 a far superior fighter to the Spitfire V, but it out-
numbered her as well. Curiously, it never supplanted the Me-109, which it was
designed to replace.
Not until the Mustang arrived on the scene did the Allies have an effective
counter to the FW-190A, versions of which first appeared in June, 1941. The last
version of the A-series, the 190A-8, was produced in greater numbers than any of
the previous sub-types and modified to accommodate a power-booster, which
could be used for ten minutes at a time at five minute intervals. The only
drawback of the A-8 was its relatively poor handling at high altitudes, and for this
reason it served mostly as a ground-attack aircraft. Of all the Luftwaffe's different
weapons, the FW-190 in its dozens of versions had the greatest utility. It was
adapted to long-range missions, to fire anti-ship weapons and 21 cm. mortars,
and to a dozen other purposes. There was even a ramming sub-type outfitted
with armoured leading edges. Arguably, it represented the crowning
achievement of German aerial combat technology.
Specifications: Type: Single-seat fighter-bomber; Power Plant: One 1,700 hp BMW
801 Dg 18-cylinder two-row radial engine; Wingspan: 34.5 ft; Length: 29.0 ft; Height:
13.0 ft; Weight: 7,055 lbs; Maximum Speed: 408 mph; Climb: 2,350 ft/min; Ceiling:
37,400 ft; Range: 497 miles; Armament: Two 13mm MG 131 machine-guns above
engine, four 20mm MG 151 /20 cannon in wings.

Focke-Wulf EW.190
56 57
Messerschmitt BM09G Gustov
By far the most important fighter in the Luftwaffe's potent arsenal, the first Bf-109
came off the line in 1935 and subsequently developed during operations in the
Spanish Civil War, where 109s dominated the air. Perhaps the most advanced
aircraft of its day, the Me-109 was one of the first low-wing monoplanes. The
definitive 109E was ready in great numbers by the time Germany invaded France,
and time and time again it showed its superiority over all of its opponents, save
the Spitfire. The 109G enjoyed a fuel-injected power plant, which improved its
performance greatly. As g-forces became greater, fuel-flow to the motor became
more and more of a concern for pilots engaged in dogfights. Naturally, fuel-
injection eliminated that problem.
An outstanding fighter in its own right, the Bf-109 occasionally carried bombs.
Along with two 7.9 mm machine guns on the engine crankcase and one
formidable 20 mm cannon firing through the airscrew hub, it could be made to
deliver 1000 lbs. worth of payload. But it was used mainly as a fighter, and
occasionally as an escort. However, as an escort for slower bombers it ran into
trouble. The 109's greatest virtue was its manoeuvrability at high speeds, in the
350 mph range. At slower speeds other fighters, such as the Spitfire and the
Hurricane, could out-turn it; so in a sense it was too fast to be a reliable escort.
Specifications: Type: Single-seat fighter; Power Plant: One Daimler-Benz DB
605AM inverted-V-12 liquid-cooled engine rated at 1,475 horse power for take off
and 1,355 h.p. at 18,700 ft.; Wingspan: 32.5 ft; Length: 29 ft; Height: 8.2ft; Weight:
5,893 lbs; Maximum Speed: 428 mph; Climb: 4,000 ft/min; Ceiling: 38,000 ft; Range:
460 miles; Armament: Two 13mm cannon MG-131 machine-guns above engine,
one 20mm MG-151 cannon in propeller hub.

Messerschmitt ME-109
58 59
Messerschmitt Me-110G Zerstorer
The Me-110 represented one of the best of many mostly unsuccessful attempts by
various nations to answer the need for a long-range escort fighter capable of
battling the smaller, single-seaters. The intention behind the Me-110 was to build
.1 fast, heavily armed two- or three-seater that made up in firepower what it lost in
manoeuvrability. The concept might have been sound, but no plane including the
Me-110 fulfilled the theory's promise. A pilot coming up against an Me-110B had
to contend with two 20 mm. nose-mounted cannons, four 8 mm nose-mounted
machine guns, and one 8 mm machine gun in the rear of the cockpit. But most
single-seaters could outmanoeuvre it well enough to minimize the advantage of
its superior armament.
Until the Battle of Britain the Me-110 had made a good accounting of itself, but
when it came up against Hurricanes and Spitfires its woeful inadequacies were
immediately apparent. Before long Me-109s had to escort the M-110s which in
turn escorted the bombers. Such a ridiculous state of affairs pointed up both the
110s shortcomings and the Luftwaffe's growing disorganization and ineptitude.
The one area in which the Me-110G cannot be justly maligned was in its role as a
night-fighter. Its powerful weaponry wreaked destruction on countless Allied
bombers when their escorts were least effective.
Specifications: Type: Three-seat fighter; Power Plant: One 1,100 hp Daimler-Benz
DB 601A engine; Wingspan: 53.3 ft; Length: 42.8 ft; Height: 13.7 ft; Weight: 4,330 lbs;
Maximum Speed: 342 mph; Climb: 2,255 ft. min; Ceiling: 32,800 ft; Range: 520 miles;
Armament: Two 30mm Mk 108 cannons, one MG 151 cannon and one 7.9mm MG
81Z twin machine gun.

Messerschmitt ME-110
60 61
Messerschmitt Me-262 Sturmvogel
Another example of bureaucratic interference and delinquency on the part of the
German High Command came in its treatment of the Me-262. Hitler was obsessed
with the idea of having the supreme, jet-powered bomber, when what he really
needed was a fighter that could deal effectively with the myriad Allied bombers
visiting daily devastation on Germany's industrial complex. Had the Sturmvogel
been introduced in time and in sufficient numbers, it could well have re-taken the
skies over Germany and helped prolong the war.
While Hitler undoubtedly wasted precious time insisting that the Me-262 be
developed as a bomber, there were other problems which held it back,
particularly in the development of a reliable turbojet engine. The project began in
1938, but the first flight-cleared turbojets did not arrive until the November, 1941,
and even these proved faulty. In spite of the technological problems and a certain
amount of apparent official indifference, which might have actually been political
overcaution, in 1944 the Sturmvogel succeeded in being the first turbojet
warplane to engage enemy aircraft. But then it was too late to make much of a
difference. Its virtues were simple: superior speed and powerful armament. As an
interceptor is was unparalleled. Indeed, it marked the beginning of a new age in
aircraft. Fast enough at better than 540 mph to obviate the need for dogfighting, it
carried four 30 mm cannons, which packed enough wallop to down the stoutest
Allied bombers. Only 100 or so actually saw operations, and of these only a
handful were shot down, while the rest sent down far more than 100 opposing
aircraft.
Specifications: Type: Single-seat fighter: Power Plant: Two 1,980 lb thrust Junker
Jumo 004B single-shaft axial turbojets; Wingspan: 41.0 ft; Length: 34.8 ft; Height:
12.6 ft; Weight: 8,820 lbs; Maximum Speed: 540 mph; Climb: 3,940 ft/min; Ceiling:
37,565 ft; Range: 652 miles; Armament: Four 30mm MK108 cannon in wings.

Messerschmitt ME 262A-la
62 63
Consolidated Vultee B-24 Liberator
The Liberator was conceived five years after the B-17 and, while inferior to the
older bomber in some respects, was produced in staggering numbers. Indeed, the
industrial effort behind it far exceeded that of any previous aircraft. It's
performance advantages over the B-17 were marginal at best, and at top speed it
was actually harder to control, posing problems for the average pilot. Still, it had a
longer range than any plane of its day, being was the first to cross the mid-
Atlantic gap, where schools of German U-boats lurked.
It had a distinctive design, with a slender Davis wing situated above deep bomb
bays. This wing was ideal for cruising which, along with its enormous fuel
capacity, accounts for its terrific range. The"Lib's" great size necessitated that its
correspondingly long gears be retracted outward by electric motors. In fact, just
about everything on board was operated electrically. The first versions were sent
to the RAF, who deemed them unready for combat and used them to start the
Atlantic Return Ferry Service. But improved defenses soon brought it into action,
and by war's end more than 2,738 Liberators served US Bomber Groups in
Europe and the Pacific. The B-24 saw action on every front in WWII for 15 allied
nations. More versions were produced than any other plane, and total production
exceeded 19,200. The accomplishments of these Liberators justified such numbers,
and lent credence to its moniker.
Specifications: Type: Long-range bomber with normal crew of 10; Power Plant:
Four 1,200 h.p. Pratt & Whitney R-1830-65 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder two -tow
radials; Wingspan: 110 ft.; Length: 62.2 ft.; Height: 18 ft.; Weight: 37,000 lbs.;
Maximum Speed: 290 mph; Climb: 900 ft/min; Ceiling: 28,000 ft.; Range: 2,200 miles;
Armament: Ten .50 inch Browning machine guns and 8,000 lbs in bombs.

B-24H Liberator
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First, please make sure you have read the installation and start-up section of your manual BRIAN HILCHIE
thoroughly, and make sure you have at least 1.5 megabytes free on your hard disk. If you
have followed the directions in the documentation, and are still having trouble installing
Brian was born in 1962 in Sarnia, Ontario, though he has lived most of his life in
or operating the software, here are some hints that might help solve the problem. Before the Ottawa area. He received a bachelors degree in mathematics and computer
attempting any of the following suggestions, please make sure you are familiar with the science from the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ont., as did his brother and
DOS commands being used. Consult your DOS manual for more information. one sister. His other sister has a degree in fine arts. While at university he lost his
mind and wrote a C compiler and development system for the Commodore 64
TSRs/Device Drivers/DOS shells and 128 which was sold under the names C Power by Pro-Line Software and
TSR stands for Terminate Stay Resident. A TSR is a program, like SideKick that Power C by Spinnaker. After an ill conceived attempt at a masters degree in
automatically executes itself when you start up your computer from a hard drive. They artificial intelligence, he joined Aero Animation in Ottawa where he worked on a "
are generally installed in your autoexec.bat file. Device Drivers and DOS shells also are number of games including Thud Ridge. At Aero he met Dan Hoecke, with
loaded automatically. They are usually installed in your config.sys file. whom he later became a partner. In his spare time he enjoys bicycling, reading,
music, and movies.
These TSRs or Device drivers sometimes interfere with games, or take up valuable
memory the game may need, and it is generally recommended that you not run any such
programs, device drivers, or shells when attempting to install or play a game. DAN HOECKE
In 1981, Dan was managing the Graphics Department of Ottawa's Nabu
DOS Boot Disk Manufacturing, when he first began designing graphics for video games. He
If you are having trouble installing, experiencing unusual lockups, or other problems that knew immediately that this was more fun than producing brochures. Soon he
do not appear normal, we suggest you try starting up your system with a DOS Boot disk.
was designing game graphics and package artwork at Sydney Development for
Here are the steps for creating a DOS boot disk. Please follow these steps exactly.
the Atari CVS and Colecovision Games machines. These included Colecovision
1. To create a DOS disk you will need a blank disk the same size as your A: drive.
conversions of Activision's"River Raid" and"Keystone Kapers". Graphics for
Commodore 64 titles soon followed which included the best selling"Quest for
2. Type C: and press Enter. Tires" and"Grog's Revenge", based on cartoonist Johnny Hart's"B.C." comic
strip."Quest for Tires" won Billboard's top award for best use of Graphics and
3. Place the blank disk into drive A: Sound. Other titles followed such as"Desert Fox","Dambusters" and several
educational products, based on the"Wizard of Id" comic strip, such as"Wiztype"
4. Type FORMAT A: /s and press Enter. Note: If you are formatting low density disks and"Wizmath".
on a high density drive, use the following commands:
Newly formed Aero Animation was Dan's next stop and here he worked on
5.25 inch low density disk: FORMAT A: /s /n:9 /t:40
games such as"Divebomber" for Amiga, Atari and Dos computers. He met Brian
Hilchie while teamed on"Thud Ridge" and in 1989 they formed Midnight
3.5 inch low density disk: FORMAT A : / s / n : 9 / t : 8 0 Software Inc. Dan and his wife Christine have an six year old daughter, Erin, and
a five year old son, Kael. They live in Nepean, just outside of Ottawa, Ontario,
You will be prompted to insert a blank disk into drive A. Do so if you haven't. Press Canada.
the Enter key when you are ready.

5. Once the disk is finished formatting you will be asked whether you wish to format
another or not. Answer N and press Enter.

6. You now have a DOS boot disk. You can start your computer from this disk by
inserting it into the A: drive and restarting your machine. Your computer will boot
up to the A: prompt. This boot disk bypasses the autoexec.bat and config.sys on your
hard drive and starts up your computer in as clean a DOS environment as possible.
Try re-installing the software if you were having trouble doing so, or try starting the
software from the drive and directory you installed to. If the software you are trying
to run requires a sound driver or mouse driver, don't forget to execute those before
starting your game.